Cancellation gives Alex Tagliani chance at hometown NASCAR race

Randy Phillips, The Gazette08.17.2012

The cancellation of an IndyCar race in China has given Alex Tagliani an opportunity this weekend to better a second-place finish at last year’s NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve.

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MONTREAL - It’s by chance that Alex Tagliani has an opportunity this weekend to better a second-place finish at last year’s NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve.

The 39-year-old from Lachenaie would have been competing in an IndyCar race in China had the event not been cancelled in mid-June by the new mayor of the host city so as not to conflict with an International Beer Festival, according to a published report.

“When I found out that race was cancelled, my first desire was to be able to race here,” Tagliani said Thursday. “I love racing here. It’s good to have the chance to come home and enjoy the fans.”

Tagliani will have a one-off ride in the No. 30 Chevrolet for Turner Motorsports in the NAPA Auto Parts 200. Coming in at the last minute last year to drive for Penske Racing, Tagliani led the race for 11 laps before finishing second to Marcos Ambrose, a career best for Tagliani.

Tagliani is competing full-time in the IZOD IndyCar Series this season. It has stops in Toronto and Edmonton, and Tagliani was quick to note the race here affords him a unique opportunity to complete a cycle, racing in three Canadian cities in the same year.

“West to east, that’s really cool,” he said. “I have some local sponsors that are supporting me through the IndyCar season, but racing here for them is also very important.

“I kind of put a last-minute package together and contacted Turner,” Tagliani continued. “I knew the crew chief on the No. 30 car, Trent Owens, a very nice guy, and Nelson (Piquet Jr.) was not able to do the race because he’s racing for Turner in the (NASCAR) truck series. The 30 car was opened and we worked through a deal.

“I’m very happy. It’s a competitive car and it gives me a chance to be here, represent sponsors and race on this track I love.”

Tagliani is teamed with Justin Allgaier, who is in Turner Motorsports’ No. 31 Brandt Chevrolet. The 26-year-old from Mooresville, N.C., won at Chicagoland Speedway last year before finishing third overall in the Nationwide Series drivers’ standings.

Allgaier is fifth in the standings this season with 14 top-10 results, including an eighth last week at Watkins Glen, N.Y. He will be making his fourth appearance at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, where he was eighth last year.

“Coming up here to Montreal, it’s one funnest races we come to every year. We all look forward to it,” Allgaier said. “It’s an interesting race because we get a lot of Montreal locals and a lot of road-race regulars to mix in with our standard Nationwide regulars. So it makes for an interesting race because you have to be a bit more aware of who’s in what cars.

“But the one thing about this race for me is the fans,” he added. “The only place that I can possibly describe fans that can even rival the fans here is in Indianapolis. They’re die-hard fans there. The Montreal fans are just as die-hard. That’s something special for us and why it’s fun to come to a race here.”

Tagliani was leading last year’s race when Ambrose passed him immediately following a restart with 10 laps remaining. The veteran Australian, who competes primarily in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series with Richard Petty Motorsports, finished 1.1 seconds ahead of Tagliani.

“Last year, again, things happened pretty late,” Tagliani said. “I arrived here, jumped into the 12 Penske Car and just tried to do a weekend with no issues. I was just really pleased to bring the car back to Roger and say, ‘Here, there’s no scratch.’

Tagliani is part of a large contingent of Canadians who will take to the track for preliminary practice sessions early Friday ahead of the official qualifying at 5 p.m.

Others are former Formula One world champion Jacques Villeneuve, who started on the pole last year in the No. 22 Dodge for Penske Racing before finishing 11th, Patrick Carpentier, Louis-Phillipe Dumoulin, Kenny Habul, Daryl Harr, Dexter Stacey and Derek White.

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